Their answer:

A: Why not? Sure, certain overpriced organic nice-to-haves will suffer, but we’ll most likely see a surge in what we’ve dubbed ECO-CHEAP: cash-strapped consumers going out of their way to save money on energy bills, motorized transport and other waste-prone, eco-unfriendly activities. While the environment may not be their first concern, there will be less polluting nevertheless.

So, what’s the take away for eco-entrepreneurs? To weather the current financial storm, position your products and services as providing the core consumer benefits of cost savings, waste elimination and improved efficiencies. People are looking for hip ways to save money.  Combine this with another trend cited by Trendwatching.com, NO-FRILLS CHIC: well-designed yet affordable products and services, and you can have a solid strategy for these volatile times. All said, appealing to the eco-cheap with well designed, affordable products and services makes a lot of sense.

Photo: Trendwatching.com

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.
—Albert Einstein

Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! We are happy in proportion to the things we can do without.
—Henry David Thoreau

We must live simply, so that others may simply live.
—Gandhi

Ah, the simple life. No worries, no responsibilities, it’s the stuff of dreams. But in today’s world, living is far from simple. Simplifying your life often seems like one more impossible task on your long to-do list. Even though common sense tells us that the most environmentally conscious life is a simple one, it’s much easier said than done.

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